Locally shot 'The Expendables' set to land on DVD this week

Given the sheer muscle mass of the cast of "The Expendables," it's no surprise that the over-the-top actioner punched and roundhouse-kicked its way to being the top earner of the Hollywood South class of 2010.

After all, who in their right mind would get between a stack of cash and Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Mickey Rourke, Jet Li, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Dolph Lundgren and Bruce Willis?

Tuesday (Nov. 23), the locally shot shoot-'em-up -- about a band of New Orleans-based mercenaries on a mission to overthrow a South American dictator -- stands to add to its approximate global take of $260 million, as it debuts on DVD and Blu-ray.

For those eager to relive this first round of carnage, the big decision is which version to buy: There's the standard-definition version, and there's the Blu-ray three-disc combo pack, which includes a high-def version of the film, the standard-def version, and a digital copy of the film (So cell phone users can get their gore on the go!). Also, Stallone has revealed a director's cut will bow early next year.

Jet Li, left, Dolph Lundgren and Sylvester Stallone appear in a scene from the New Orleans-shot action film 'The Expendables.'

For instance, the Blu-ray combo pack will include the feature-length documentary "Inferno: The Making of 'The Expendables,'" in which Stallone waxes philosophic about the action genre and recounts his now-famous trip to Tulane Institute of Sports Medicine after injuring his neck in an on-screen fight with Steve Austin at Fort McComb.

(A shorter, 15-minute version is included on the DVD release. It's titled "Before the Battle," although "Inferno Lite" would have worked just as well.)

Among my favorite extras, though, is Stallone's commentary track, which exposes the nature of his on-the-fly filmmaking style, in addition to offering such cool tidbits as why costar Mickey Rourke wore hair identical to his character in "Iron Man 2." The reason: Rourke agreed to do "Expendables" while on break from "Iron Man 2," and Sly had him for only two days -- with the hair coming as part of the deal.

"People say, 'Well, why didn't he pop up in other scenes?' I said, 'He did pop up in other scenes. Unfortunately, (they were) in 'Iron Man,'" Stallone cracks.

Also cool: This bit in which Stallone marvels over Bruce Willis, who plays a small but celebrated role in a scene that also included Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger: "You know what I love about Bruce, aside from him being an incredible intense and focused actor? When he turns it on he doesn't blink. It's almost kind of hypnotic when he turns his eyes on you."

That's good stuff. Like the rest of "The Expendables" home-video release it won't do anything to win any nonfans, but it certainly qualifies as giving the already-converted more of what they want.

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THE EXPENDABLES2 stars, out of 4

Snapshot: Sylvester Stallone's New Orleans-shot action epic, for which he assembles an impressive array of action stars, past and present.

What works: Stallone's commentary track offers some fun nuggets, and the movie itself features nice snatches of levity.

What doesn't: The brainless violence here is disturbingly, and distractingly, graphic -- an over-the-top display of tastelessness that is used to cover up the film's narrative weaknesses.